Affiliations: [a] Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition & Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| [b] Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition & Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| [c] Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| [d] Anesthesiology Research Center, Anesthesia and Critical Care Department, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Correspondence:
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Corresponding authors: Dr. Nimah Bahreini Esfahani, Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition & Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences,, Hezar-Jerib Ave., Isfahan, IR Iran. P.O. Box 81746-73461; Tel.: +989133048537; Fax: +983136682509; E-mail: nimahbahreini@yahoo.com; ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4890-8689. Dr. Amir Reza Moravejolahkami, School of Nutrition & Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Hezar-Jerib Ave, Isfahan, IR Iran. P.O. Box 81746-73461; Tel.: +98(31)33354453; Tel.: +989136448771; Fax: +98(31)36681378; E-mails: a.moravej@mail.mui.ac.ir; amimohs@gmail.com; ORCID ID: 0000-0001-9707-0352.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Some researchers suggested a positive effect of Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA) on Blood Pressure (BP) and lipid profile. OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of ALA for improving BP and lipid profile in critically ill patients. METHODS:In the present study, eighty patients (aged 18–80 years old) were randomly assigned to receive daily either ALA (600 mg/day) or placebo for eight weeks. Systolic BP (SBP), Diastolic BP (DBP), Triglyceride (TG), Total cholesterol (TC), Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), and High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) were measured before and after intervention. RESULTS:LDL decreased significantly in the ALA group (110.6±34.9 vs. 107.9±33.4 mg/dl; P < 0.05). There was also a significant difference in terms of HDL in both groups (Δ= +1.8 vs. Δ= –0.3 mg/dl; P < 0.05). A marginal non-significant reduction was also observed for SBP. There were no significant differences in other variables between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS:ALA supplementation did not improve the BP and some serum lipid markers in critically ill patients. Larger and longer trials will be needed to determine efficacy of ALA.
